Palestine urges international community to end Israel’s 'colonial appetite'

Palestine on Wednesday called for global action to restrain Israel’s "colonial appetite," accusing the occupying power of exploiting the current environment to expand its territories.

"It is time to rein in Israel's colonial appetite, evident not only in Palestine but also in Lebanon… and in Syria," Palestine's UN Ambassador Riyad Mansour told the Security Council.

He said that Israel currently controls 70% of the Gaza Strip with the intent of permanent annexation, while forcing 2 million people into the remaining 30% under "unlivable conditions."

“Fire has not ceased, and almost 1,000 Palestinians have been killed,” said the representative, highlighting severe violations of the ceasefire agreement that has been in place since Oct. 2025.

He also detailed the six principles of Resolution 2803, negotiated with the assistance of the US, Egypt, Qatar, and Türkiye, which include a permanent ceasefire, humanitarian access, no occupation, annexation, or forcible displacement, the reunification of the West Bank and Gaza under the Palestinian Authority and self-determination.

He stressed that mediation must be "anchored in international law" to produce lasting results and avoid further displacement.

- Enforcement, regional expansion

While praising the "personal involvement" of US President Donald Trump in brokering the truce, the representative argued that mediation alone is insufficient without accountability.

“Agreements and international law require enforcement,” the envoy said, urging the world not to look away, noting the Palestinian Authority is subject to an "all-out assault aiming at its collapse."

Israel launched its genocide in Gaza on Oct. 8, 2023. The war lasted two years and left nearly 73,000 Palestinians dead and more than 173,000 injured, most of them women and children, while destroying about 90 percent of the territory’s infrastructure.